8 Songs to Listen to When You're Heartbroken
This week I talked to Camila Lemere on the Emotionally Driven Podcast. We talked about heartbreak, specifically in break-ups and it got me thinking about what one usually does when in a state of heartbreak; they listen to music.
A great example of this is that scene in The Bridget Jones Diary where she wallows in her loneliness singing along to Celine Dion’s “All By Myself.” Music can help one wallow, but it can also be the one thing that helps you feel understood. So I wanted to share 8 songs you can listen to when you’re heartbroken. There’s some sad in-your-feelings songs, but also some fun I’m-better-off songs. Hopefully they’ll get added to your current playlist and help you during a difficult time.
Night Shift by Lucy Dacus
Lucy Dacus is able to perfectly encapsulate what it feels like to go through a break-up and not want to see or hear from an ex after they have done you wrong. Dacus sings, “I feel no need to forgive, but I might as well” reminding you that closure is found within yourself and not in your ex. She ends with “In five years, I hope the songs feel like covers / Dedicated to new lovers”. A hopeful message for the listener to remember that feelings pass and these songs about heartbreak will not always be something to relate to.
at least I'm pretty by Harriette
Do you ever think that a song is too short and wish it was longer? This is one of those songs for me. Not even reaching 2 minutes, Harriette is able to describe what it feels like to want someone who wants nothing to do with you. “It’s a hard life when it’s mine” is the lyric that stands out to me. The feelings of pain one feels after a break-up are valid and it is hard. And if someone doesn’t want you, just like the title of the song says, at least you’re pretty. You can get someone hotter anyways.
Me & My Dog by boygenius
boygenius is a girl band made up of my favorite artists Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. And they know how to make a song about heartbreak. “I wanna be emaciated / I wanna hear one song without thinking about you / I wish I was on a spaceship / Just me and my dog and an impossible view.” One of the worst parts of a breakup is that everything reminds you of them. And boygenuis describes this pain by saying how badly one wants to stop remembering everything, to the point where you just want to leave Earth. It’s clever and emotional. And it’s a reminder that our dogs will always be there for us, even after our break-ups.
Street You Live On by Remi Wolf
Remi Wolf starts the song with the line, “I avoid the street that you live on” and who hasn’t done that after a break-up? You avoid any possibility of seeing that person again because it hurts and you don’t know what you’ll do. This song is relatable, but also, it’s just fun! It’s a song that you might want to cry AND dance to. A perfect cleansing to the end of a relationship.
Linger by The Cranberries
Do you remember this song from when you were a little kid and your mom would turn up the radio when it came on? Of course you do. The Cranberries are a classic. Dolores (the lead singer) evokes such emotion through her voice. With lines like, “You know, I’m such a fool for you / You got me wrapped around your finger / Do you have to let it linger?” How do you not relate? Let those emotions out with this song.
Savior Complex (Copycat Killer Version) by Phoebe Bridgers
Phoebe Bridgers knows how it feels when one keeps trying in a one-sided relationship because they don’t want to lose it. This version has a beautiful violin in the back, making the emotion come out even more. Bridgers sings, “Baby, you’re a vampire / You want blood, and I promised / I’m a bad liar with a savior complex.” You don’t need to save a relationship or someone who doesn’t want to be saved. You deserve more than a one-sided relationship. Phoebe knows this, and so do you.
Speaking Terms by Snail Mail
Snail Mail, in this song tells her ex that it’s time to move on and to leave things on “speaking terms” like the title of the song. She knows it’s done and she’s not going to let this person “take [her] for a ride”. She knows she’s better off, she’ll see them around, but she won’t get played by them again. A great addition to a heartbreak playlist. Take Snail Mail’s advice, you’re better off without them. You won’t let yourself be played by them.
This Is How We Move by Billie Marten
I wanted to end these heartbreak songs on a high note. Billie Marten sings about finding a relationship that flows and melds her and her partner together. She sings “I got what I was asking for” and later says, “And I knew I was enough.” She eventually got the relationship she always wanted and she realized that she was enough to deserve it. Listening to love songs can be hard after a break-up, but allow yourself to listen and to grieve what you once had. And hopefully you’ll get to a point where you won’t be grieving your past relationship, but instead hoping for one as described in this song.
Let yourself scream, cry, dance, and laugh during this time. Hopefully these songs will help you do that. It’s okay to grieve and to be sad about losing someone you loved. The best way to get over something is to go through it. Let those emotions come and go. And I promise, eventually they will go. And these songs will just be a reminder of what you once felt.